Good New Orleans Creole Gumbo

Name: Good New Orleans Creole Gumbo
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 160 min
Total time: 220 min
Yield: Serves 20
Cuisine: cajun
Ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour; 0.75 cup bacon drippings; 1 cup coarsely chopped celery; 1 large onion, coarsely chopped; 1 large green bell pepper, coarsely chopped; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 pound andouille sausage, sliced; 3 quarts water; 6 cubes beef bouillon; 1 tablespoon white sugar; salt to taste; 2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco®), or to taste; 0.5 teaspoon Cajun seasoning blend (such as Tony Chachere's®), or to taste; 4 bay leaves; 0.5 teaspoon dried thyme leaves; 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes; 1 (6 ounce) can tomato sauce; 4 teaspoons file powder, divided; 2 tablespoons bacon drippings; 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen cut okra, thawed; 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar; 1 pound lump crabmeat; 3 pounds uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined; 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

4.90 (1392)

⏱ 220 mins 🍽 Serves 20 🌶 cajun 🏷 Main course

This authentic Creole gumbo is a traditional Cajun dinner, perfect for feeding a crowd. It starts with a deeply coloured roux, then builds flavour with the holy trinity of vegetables, andouille sausage, and a long simmer with tomatoes and spices. Lump crabmeat and peeled shrimp are added towards the end, with file powder used for authentic thickening and flavour. The entire process takes about 220 minutes and yields 20 generous servings over hot rice.

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
0.75 cup bacon drippings
1 cup coarsely chopped celery
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 large green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound andouille sausage, sliced
3 quarts water
6 cubes beef bouillon
1 tablespoon white sugar
salt to taste
2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco®), or to taste
0.5 teaspoon Cajun seasoning blend (such as Tony Chachere's®), or to taste
4 bay leaves
0.5 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1 (6 ounce) can tomato sauce
4 teaspoons file powder, divided
2 tablespoons bacon drippings
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen cut okra, thawed
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 pound lump crabmeat
3 pounds uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Method

Collect all the required ingredients.
Prepare the roux by whisking the flour with 0.75 cup bacon drippings in a heavy saucepan. Cook while whisking constantly until it achieves a mahogany brown colour, which may take 20 to 30 minutes. Take off the heat and keep whisking to halt the cooking.
Finely chop the celery, onion, green bell pepper, and garlic together using a food processor.
Add the chopped vegetables to the prepared roux along with the sliced sausage. Cook while stirring for 10 to 15 minutes until the vegetables soften, then set this mixture aside.
Bring the water and beef bouillon cubes to a boil in a large Dutch oven, stirring to dissolve the cubes. Whisk the roux and vegetable mixture into this boiling liquid.
Lower the heat to a simmer. Stir in the sugar, salt, hot pepper sauce, Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, thyme, stewed tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Let it simmer for 1 hour, adding 2 teaspoons of file powder after 45 minutes.
While the gumbo simmers, melt 2 tablespoons bacon drippings in a skillet. Cook the okra with vinegar for 15 minutes, then transfer the okra into the gumbo pot using a slotted spoon.
Add the lump crabmeat, shrimp, and Worcestershire sauce to the pot. Continue simmering for 45 more minutes. Just before serving, stir in the remaining 2 teaspoons of file powder.
Serve the finished gumbo while hot.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories283 kcal

Fat17 g

Sugars3 g

Protein21 g

Sodium853 mg

Recipe details

CategoryMain course

Cuisinecajun

AuthorMddoccook